The Health and Education Leadership Project: A School Initiative for Children and Adolescents with Chronic Health Conditions

An estimated 40% of children and adolescents with chronic health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and hemophilia, experience school‐related problems. Many children living with a chronic illness do not need or may not qualify for traditional special education programs, yet they may have unmet learning needs associated with chronic absenteeism, disease symptoms, or side effects of medical treatments. Using principles of family‐centered schools, a coalition of schools, families, pediatricians, and nurses can work cooperatively to help students with chronic conditions succeed. This article describes the second phase of an ongoing initiative designed to support public schools in their efforts to meet the health and education needs of students with chronic health conditions.